Department for Transport

Heathrow Airport

Lord Eames: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the decision to extend capacity at Heathrow Airport, they are considering a review of internal air routes in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government will take all necessary steps to ensure that Heathrow’s operator will meet the pledges it made to add more domestic air routes across the UK by 2030, strengthening links to existing regions as well as developing connections to new ones.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Employment Tribunals Service

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 24 October (HL 2341), how many penalty notices have been issued to employers for failure to comply with orders of employment tribunals to pay compensation to applicants since the power to do so was introduced in April 2016; and how many have been enforced.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Since April 2016, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has issued 37 penalty notices to employers for failure to comply with orders of employment tribunals to pay compensation to applicants. Should the penalty notices not be paid, the department will take further enforcement action as necessary and to the full extent of the law to pursue payment.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Gaza: Health Services

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to make representations to the governments of Israel and Egypt asking them to increase the granting of exit permits from Gaza for individuals seeking medical care.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: While we have no plans to raise this specific issue with the governments of Israel and Egypt, we continue to press both governments to take measures that will help relieve the humanitarian suffering of those in Gaza.We have regularly raised our concerns over Gaza with the Israeli authorities, emphasising the importance of improving daily life for ordinary Gazans, for example facilitating travel in and out of Gaza.We are concerned about the closure of the Rafah crossing and its impact, particularly on urgent medical and other priority cases in Gaza. The crossing has been mostly closed since October 2014, though we understand the crossing was opened temporarily over the weekend of 22/23 October. We continue to encourage the Egyptian authorities to show maximum flexibility in opening the crossing and ease restrictions as soon as practically possible, to improve the difficult circumstances in which many Palestinians live.

British Nationals Abroad: EU Countries

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people there are residing in the EU, outside the UK, Gibraltar and the Republic of Ireland, who hold UK citizenship.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: ​The UK Government does not collect information on British nationals resident overseas. The UN migration report from 2015 estimates that there are around 962,500 UK-born residents living in the EU, outside of the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Gibraltar is not referred to in the report.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Staff

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to increase the number of Russian specialists working in (1) Whitehall, and (2) UK embassies in eastern European countries between now and the exit of the UK from the EU.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Over recent years the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has sought to align its expertise with the complexity of issues relating to Russia. Since 2010 the department has increased the number of Russian-language positions in our Russia posts and elsewhere in the Former Soviet Union by 30 per cent, and have increased the minimum duration for Russian-language training from 11 to 14 months. We also have in place dedicated resources across Government and our overseas network focussed on defence, energy, and national security issues relating to Russia.

South Africa: International Criminal Court

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of South Africa's decision to withdraw as a party to the Rome Statute.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The UK regrets the decision by South Africa to initiate proceedings to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC). We recognise there are issues that need to be resolved with the ICC to ensure that it has the widest possible support. ICC working groups are currently considering some of the challenges in The Hague and New York. The Government hopes that South Africa will remain signatories to the Rome Statute and engage positively in further dialogue.

Occupied Territories: Land

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made, or intend to make, to the government of Israel about reports of 1,500 dunams of Palestinian land being illegally cultivated by Israelis from the moshav of Mateh Yehuda near Latrun and the settlement of Mevo Horon.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not made any representations to the Israeli authorities over this specific issue. The UK Government continues to argue for a just outcome for all the people affected by illegal settlement construction and the confiscation of land due to the Separation Barrier.

Department for Education

Children: Exercise

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to encourage children to take up physical activity, in particular activity additional to school sport.

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of fitness testing of children in school.

Lord Nash: We want all pupils to be healthy and more physically active, with the Government’s recent Childhood Obesity Plan setting out an ambition that young people should be active for at least 60 minutes every day, as recommended by the Chief Medical Officer. Since 2013, the Government has provided over £450million of ring-fenced funding to primary schools to make additional and sustainable improvements to PE and Sport. We know this funding is making a difference, with 87% of primary schools reporting that the quality of PE teaching has increased since the introduction of the premium. The majority of schools have also introduced new sports in both curricular PE (74%) and extra-curricular sport (77%) since the premium was introduced. But we know there is more to do, which is why revenue from the soft drinks industry levy will be used to double the primary PE and sport premium to £320million a year from September 2017. Through the Sport Strategy, we have also extended the remit of Sport England, to cover children aged 5 and above, outside of school. Sport England's new strategy 'Towards an Active Nation' sets out a new £40million investment into projects that offer opportunities for families with children to get active and play sport together outside of school. In relation to fitness testing, it is up to schools to determine how best they deliver a diverse and challenging PE curriculum. We are considering how we can track levels of physical activity in schools to help support children to have healthy and active lives and will be providing schools with further guidance and best practice examples to help deliver this.

Children and Young People: Health Education

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the educational resources available to (1) teachers, and (2) parents, to encourage healthier living among children and young people.

Lord Nash: This Government wants all children to lead healthy and active lives and schools have a key role to play in teaching children about healthy lifestyles. Schools have the flexibility to choose which educational resources they use to support their teaching and there are opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to be taught the knowledge and skills they need to support heathy living. The national curriculum is compulsory in state maintained schools and sets the expectation that across a variety of subjects, pupils are taught about the importance of leading a healthy active lifestyle. Physical education (PE) is compulsory at all four key stages in the national curriculum and should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way that supports their health and fitness. Across science and design and technology, pupils are taught about the importance of healthy eating and nutrition. Change4Life is the Government’s flagship social marketing programme aimed at inspiring everyone to eat well, move more and live longer. In 2015 more than 385,000 families signed up to the “10 Minute Shake up” campaign, which are designed as fun activities for children to squeeze short 10-minute bursts of activity into their day. In January 2016, Change4Life launched the Food Detective campaign. Developed by educational experts, these curriculum-linked resources encouraged pupils to become Food Detectives and to learn more about sugar and 5 a day to support a healthy and balanced diet.

Physical Education

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to improve and roll out (1) training of specialist physical educational teachers, and (2) physical literacy in primary schools.

Lord Nash: We are determined to ensure all children receive high quality physical education (PE) in order to keep fit, active and healthy, whilst also developing a lifelong participation in physical activity and sport. PE is a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum. The programme of study sets the expectation that schools should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way that supports their health and fitness. Through the primary PE and sport premium, primary schools have already received over £450million of ring-fenced funding to provide additional and sustainable improvements to their PE and sport provision. In an independent evaluation, 84% of schools reported an increase in pupil engagement in PE during curricular time and in the levels of participation in extra-curricular activities. Since the introduction of the primary PE and sport premium there has been an increase in the number of schools with a specialist PE teacher from 30% before the premium to 46% in 2014/15. Eighty-one per cent of schools also reported that the funding was used to up-skill and train existing staff in 2014/15. From September 2017, the funding will be doubled to £320million per year and schools will continue to have the freedom to spend the funding based on the needs of their pupils. The Government does not prescribe specific subject content for initial teacher training (ITT). All ITT courses must be designed so that teacher trainees can demonstrate by the end of their training that they meet all of the Teachers’ Standards at the appropriate level. This includes demonstrating good subject and curriculum knowledge by having a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas. To improve the quality and consistency of initial teacher training, in July 2016, the Government published a new framework of core content for ITT. The new framework emphasise the need for all ITT providers to audit trainees’ subject knowledge early in their training and make provision to ensure that trainees have sufficient subject knowledge to satisfy the standard by the end of their training. In the new Sport Strategy, the government has committed to support children and young people to develop the confidence and skills to take part and to be positive about sport and activity. As part of this work, we will be exploring how to increase physical literacy standards in primary schools.

Schools: Admissions

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the current arrangements for a pupil moving from an academy school to a non-academy school, and whether the academy school is obliged to notify the local authority and the receiving school.

Lord Nash: Parents can apply for a place at any school, at any time. Since 2012, local authorities have no longer been required to coordinate admissions outside the normal admissions round and parents can apply directly to the admissions authority of their preferred school. Under whatever circumstance, when a child is taken off a school’s register, the school must inform the relevant local authority. Where it is apparent that the child is moving schools, it must also inform the local authority of the school the child is moving to. Similarly, when a school receives an in-year application, it is required to notify the local authority of the outcome of that application, even if the child cannot be admitted.

Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education

Lord Northbourne: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to encourage and support maintained secondary schools in England and Wales to do more to prepare their pupils for the responsibilities of parenthood.

Lord Nash: We are clear that as part of schools’ duty to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, all young people should be provided with a curriculum that prepares them for success in adult life. Schools are best placed to make decisions about the education of their pupils. Teachers are able to cover parenting skills in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education lessons. The non-statutory programme of study for PSHE includes the roles and responsibilities of parents, parenting skills, the value of family relationships, and the impact of separation, divorce and bereavement on families. The Department does not hold information on secondary schools in Wales. This is the responsibility of the Welsh Government.

Pupils: Nationality

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 12 October (HL Deb, col 1889–90), whether any of the information supplied in response to the 20 information requests made by the Home Office of the National Pupil Database since April 2012 related to the information now being sought from schools as part of the school census on pupils' nationality; and whether such information will be supplied in response to future requests for information.

Lord Nash: Data on nationality and country of birth have not and will not be shared with the Home Office or anyone else. It is solely for DfE research.

Pupils: Nationality

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 12 October (HL Deb, col 1889–90), whether schools are required, as part of the school census, to provide information on pupils' nationality, and whether schools will suffer any adverse consequences if they fail to do so.

Lord Nash: The Department for Education publishes guidance for schools on administering the school census. As stated in the guidance (section 5.3.5) the requested information on nationality is as declared by the parent or guardian. The parent or guardian may decline to provide this information to the school without consequences. In such a case, the school would record this as ‘refused’ to meet its statutory duty to make a return. The guidance is available on the Government’s website, www.gov.uk, by searching for ‘School census 2016 to 2017: guide for schools and LAs’.

Pupils: Nationality

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Viscount Younger of Leckie on 12 October (HL Deb, col 1889–90), what steps they have taken to inform parents that the provision of information about their child's nationality for inclusion in the school censure is optional and that they can decline to provide that information without any adverse consequences.

Lord Nash: The Department for Education publishes guidance for schools on administering the school census. It is up to schools to then work with parents and guardians to collect this data. As stated in the guidance (section 5.3.5) the requested information on nationality is as declared by the parent or guardian. The parent or guardian may decline to provide this information to the school without consequences. In such a case, the school would record this as ‘refused’ to meet its statutory duty to make a return. However, the Department is aware that a number of schools have not implemented the collection in accordance with the guidance. We will, therefore, work with the sector to consider how it can better support schools in collecting school census data for future rounds. To address any uncertainties, I have placed an information note in the House Libraries. This note has also been published on the Department’s public website. The guidance is available on the Government’s website, www.gov.uk, by searching for ‘School census 2016 to 2017: guide for schools and LAs’.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Inland Waterways

Lord Fearn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many canals were fully self-operating during (1) 2014, (2) 2015, and (3) 2016 to date.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government does not hold this information. However, the Inland Waterways Association has compiled a directory of navigable waterways in Great Britain which can be accessed on its website.

Home Office

Europol

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to seek to remain a member of Europol following the UK's departure from the EU.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Prime Minister has made clear that law enforcement cooperation with our European partners will continue after the UK leaves the EU we will do what is necessary to keep our people safe.We value the role of Europol in helping law enforcement agencies coordinate investigations in cross border organised crime. We are exploring options for our relationship with Europol once the UK has left the EU but it is too early to speculate at this stage what future arrangments may look like.

Asylum: Children

Lord Porter of Spalding: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding has been allocated to local authorities to support unaccompanied children being resettled in the UK beyond 31 March 2017.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: In July 2016, we increased the national rate of funding to local authorities taking responsibility for unaccompanied asylum seeking children, from £34,675 to £41,610 a year for those aged under 16 and from £25,915 to £33,215 a year for those aged 16 or 17. We will keep these arrangements under review.

Terrorism: Internet

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government,further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 September (HL1606), where a communications service provider is not based in the UK but has UK citizens or foreign nationals working for it and residing in the UK, what is the justification for not prosecuting executives when their company fails to take action to remove terrorist or extremist content which would be an offence if committed by a UK based company and its officers.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: This Government is actively considering whether to opt-in to the new Europol Regulation. We will inform Parliament of our decision in due course in the usual way.

Refugees: Calais

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to collect and analyse the lists compiled by British non-governmental organisations in Calais of children and adults who qualify for entry to the UK, and obtain the concurrence of the French authorities to their moving here.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Our priority is to ensure the safety of children during the camp clearance and to ensure unaccompanied children eligible to come to the UK are transferred as quickly as possible. Working closely with the French authorities through an agreed and proper process, and in conjunction with non-governmental organisations (NGOs ) and charities, Home Office officials have interviewed 800 children in the camp who claim to have close family in the UK. Since 10 October, we have transferred almost 200 unaccompanied children to the UK and we expect to transfer many more over the coming days and weeks. We will continue to work with British NGOs as part of this process.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

Lord Ouseley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether levels of trust and confidence of black and minority ethnic communities in the Independent Police Complaints Commission have increased or decreased over the past year; and what evidence they have to support their findings.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has a strategic objective to improve the confidence of those groups who have least confidence in the police complaints system.Key measures for monitoring this are included in their public confidence survey next due to be undertaken in 2017. The most recent survey, undertaken in 2014, shows confidence in the impartiality of the IPCC amongst ethnic minority groups has improved. It is available on the IPCC website at: http://www.ipcc.gov.uk/page/public-confidence



Public Confidence Survey
(PDF Document, 7.69 MB)

Asylum: Sudan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is their policy to repatriate non-Arab Darfuri asylum seekers from the UK to Khartoum; and what account is taken when making such decisions, of the needs of those who believe that their human rights, especially the right to freedom of religion or belief, will be violated.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: All protection claims, including claims based on the right to freedom of religion or belief, are carefully considered on their individual facts and merits, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and European Convention on Human Rights. They are assessed against available country of origin information, which is obtained from a range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.Where people establish a genuine need for protection, we will grant it. If they are found not to need our protection, we expect them to leave the country voluntarily. Where they do not, we will seek to enforce their departure. Enforced removals are carried out in the most sensitive way possible, treating those being removed with respect and courtesy.

Visas: Overseas Students

Lord Harris of Haringey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the process for determining which international students applying for a visa to study in the UK should undergo an interview to assess that their course of study is genuine before a visa is issued; and what is the breakdown of their countries of origin.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Interviews are conducted with some international students as part of the visa application process in order to confirm that the applicant meets the requirements of the UK immigration rules, in particular that he or she is a genuine student. A number of different factors are taken into account to assess the potential level of risk that an applicant might pose to the UK border and these are used to determine whether or not an interview is required.It is not possible to release the break down of country of origin of students that are interviewed as this would be prejudicial to the operation of immigration controls.

Visas: Zimbabwe

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their policy regarding the issuing of temporary UK visas to Zimbabwean democracy and human rights activists in order that they can inform the UK Government and Parliament about the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: All applications for a visa to travel to the UK, regardless of the applicant’s nationality, are considered on their merits, in accordance with the Immigration Rules, taking into account the information and supporting documents provided in the application.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Recruitment

Baroness Suttie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many new members of staff appointed to work in the Department for International Trade have been recruited from outside the civil service; and what proportion of those staff are consultants on fixed-term contracts.

Lord Price: Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The DIT aggregates UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), UK Export and Finance (UKEF) and Trade Policy Units from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).Until such time as a transfer of functions order establishes my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade as a corporation sole, DIT remains a unified Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) department for accounting purposes. The transfer of functions order (No 2016/ 992) laid on 19 October 2016 will come into effect on 9 November 2016.As DIT is currently being formed, details of the staff that the Department employs is being finalised, whilst employee transfers and recruitment are taking place.